Konoha Street.
Tsunade's expression was anything but pleased.
The moment the police motorcycle screeched to a stop, she jumped off, glaring at Bai Ye.
"I told you to let me sit in the back."
Bai Ye remained seated on the bike, bending forward slightly as he adjusted his position.
There was no helping it—if he sat up straight in this situation, the consequences would be rather… revealing.
Public decency mattered, after all.
This entire trip had been a challenge. The Fire Country lacked proper roads, making the journey unbearably bumpy.
Naturally, Tsunade, seated at the front, had it the worst.
If Bai Ye hadn't been mindful of Anko sitting behind him, he might have outright shoved Tsunade off mid-ride.
Tsunade clenched her fists.
Riding pillion meant risking unnecessary contact, which she had no intention of allowing.
Especially when this bastard had the audacity to brake suddenly at random intervals, forcing a certain type of reaction that was definitely not accidental.
This time, she had well and truly played herself.
Mitarashi Anko, on the other hand, sported a flushed face—not from embarrassment, but exhilaration.
This vehicle—this motorcycle—was incredible.
She'd barely stepped off, and she already wanted another turn.
Absolutely thrilling.
"Sara, you're up next."
As the two women dismounted, Bai Ye revved the engine, flicking the rear wheel with a sharp turn before scanning the crowd ahead.
A group of shinobi stood at odds, tensions palpable.
"Captain!"
Uchiha Satoshi wasted no time rushing over, bowing his head respectfully.
Then his gaze fell upon Bai Ye's vehicle, his eyes widening in awe.
"Whoa… that's incredible!"
So this was what the captain had brought back from his trip?
"Quit gawking. The guards will have these for official patrols soon enough."
Bai Ye's tone was casual, as if he were discussing something as mundane as uniform replacements.
"Though, of course, yours won't have my custom specs."
The First Generation captain's ride had to stand apart, naturally.
Larger build, deeper engine growl—the standard-issue models wouldn't come close.
Orochimaru had outdone himself, bringing Bai Ye's blueprints to life in just three days.
Of course, that was with Bai Ye personally overseeing the process and ensuring an abundance of materials.
"So," Bai Ye mused, "I leave for three days, and suddenly there's a village management brigade?"
His gaze settled on Sarutobi Shinnosuke, amusement flickering in his eyes.
According to the original timeline, this guy didn't live long past Konohamaru's birth—his cause of death remained vague.
Yet here he was, serving as the Third Hokage's pawn against the guards.
"Uchiha Bai Ye."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's expression was ice-cold.
He knew of Bai Ye—how could he not? Every time the guards moved, Bai Ye commanded the scene with effortless dominance.
It had irritated him.
That sense of absolute control.
That authority.
It should have been his.
And now, it was time to reclaim it.
"The captain of the village management team, huh?"
Bai Ye chuckled.
How adorable.
Did the Sarutobi clan truly believe that power stemmed from authority alone?
That forming a new task force would somehow weaken the guards?
How naïve.
The guards weren't strong because of political influence.
Their strength was rooted in raw power.
In the original timeline, they had crumbled due to the absence of an absolute force.
Without a definitive powerhouse, they had been easy prey.
But that was no longer the case.
He was here now.
And as long as he stood, the guards would never fall.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke didn't understand this.
He thought this was a battle of governance—of regulations.
But the world didn't run on rules.
It ran on strength.
Bai Ye had no interest in playing weak for the sake of appearances.
If he was strong, he acted strong.
Simple as that.
Did Sarutobi believe that forming an official department similar to the guards would serve as a countermeasure?
That it would strip him of his influence?
That Bai Ye would
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